Micro deflectors on touch sensor

Abstract

In various embodiments, a touch surface may comprise multiple individual sensors, each of which is capable of mechanical deflection in a direction parallel to the surface, with the device using the touch surface being able to detect such deflection in each sensor. With this capability, the device may be able to detect intended movement of a touch over the touch surface even if no additional sensors are activated by that movement. Such sensors may be useful for detecting very small motions, and may be especially useful for motions in which the shape of the user's thumb results in the same touch area being in contact with the thumb even though the thumb is executing an extension or retraction movement.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 a touch surface including multiple mechanical sensors, each mechanical sensor including a micro-deflector, a first portion of the micro-deflector extending outward from a surface of the touch surface and a second portion of the micro-deflector extending below the surface of the touch surface, the micro-deflector of each mechanical sensor capable of mechanical deflection in response to force parallel to the surface of the touch surface, each mechanical sensor to generate a signal to indicate a direction of the deflection of the respective micro-deflector; 
 wherein the micro-defector of each mechanical sensor is to mechanically deflect in response to an object touching the touch surface and the object contacting the first portion of the micro-defector in moving across the touch surface. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the touch surface is a component in a larger device; and 
 the larger device is capable of detecting a direction of a dragging movement of the object across the touch surface by processing signals from the multiple mechanical sensors. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the larger device is capable of determining which micro-deflectors are deflecting and the direction of deflection for each of the deflecting micro-deflectors. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each mechanical sensor is capable of indicating an amount of deflection of the respective micro-deflector. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each mechanical sensor is capable of indicating a speed of deflection of the respective micro-deflector. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the touch surface includes an array of additional sensors, the additional sensors to be used to in combination with the multiple mechanical sensors to determine an input motion from a user's thumb. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said each mechanical sensor uses a magnetic sensing to detect deflection of the respective micro-deflector. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said each mechanical sensor uses a piezoelectric crystal to detect deflection of the respective micro-deflector. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each said mechanical sensor uses an optical receiver to detect deflection of the respective micro-deflector. 
     
     
       10. A method, comprising:
 receiving a signal from each of multiple mechanical sensors of a touch surface indicating movement of an object across the touch surface, each mechanical sensor including a micro-deflector, a first portion of the micro-deflector extending outward from a surface of the touch surface and a second portion of the micro-deflector extending below the surface of the touch surface, the micro-deflector of each mechanical sensor capable of mechanical deflection in response to force parallel to the surface of the touch surface, wherein each micro-deflector is to mechanically deflect in response to an object touching the touch surface and the object contacting the first portion of the micro-deflector in moving across the touch surface, each mechanical sensor to generate a signal to indicate a direction of deflection of the respective micro-defector; 
 determining a direction of the movement from the signals received from the multiple mechanical sensors; and 
 interpreting the movement as a command to a device. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the signal from each mechanical sensor includes an indication of an amount of deflection of the respective micro-deflector. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising using the indication of movement in combination with signals from other sensors to determine the command. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the other sensors are capacitive sensors. 
     
     
       14. An article comprising:
 a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:
 receiving a signal from each of multiple mechanical sensors of a touch surface indicating movement of an object across the touch surface, each mechanical sensor including a micro-deflector, a first portion of the micro-deflector extending outward from a surface of the touch surface and a second portion of the micro-deflector extending below the surface of the touch surface, the micro-deflector of each mechanical sensor capable of mechanical deflection in response to force parallel to the surface of the touch surface, wherein each micro-deflector is to mechanically deflect in response to an object touching the touch surface and the object contacting the first portion of the micro-deflector in moving across the touch surface, each mechanical sensor to generate a signal to indicate a direction of deflection of the respective micro-defector; 
 determining a direction of the movement from the signals received from the multiple mechanical sensors; and 
 interpreting the movement as a command to a device. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The article of  claim 14 , wherein the signal from each mechanical sensor includes an indication of an amount of deflection of the respective micro-deflector. 
     
     
       16. The article of  claim 14 , further comprising the operation of using the indication of movement in combination with signals from other sensors to determine the command. 
     
     
       17. The article of  claim 16 , wherein the other sensors are capacitive sensors. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the micro-deflectors of the mechanical sensors are not visible in detail by an unaided eye. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the object is a finger of a user of the apparatus.